Jerry Rymont Named Publisher of SN; Warne Promoted; Merrefield Retires

NEW YORK — Jerry Rymont has been named publisher of SN by its parent company Penton Media, which is based here. Rymont previously served as group publisher of Penton's Baking Group, which includes the publications Modern Baking and Baking Management.

Penton also promoted Chris Warne, associate publisher of SN, to replace Rymont as group publisher of the Baking Group.

The company also announced the retirement of David Merrefield, vice president and editorial director of SN. David Orgel will continue in his role as editor-in-chief, overseeing the SN editorial staff, and will report to Rymont.

Rymont will oversee all SN print, Web and event activities; he will report to Dan Bagan, senior vice president. Rymont joined Penton in 1998 as a regional sales manager and served successively as publisher of Penton's Manufacturing Group and publisher of Modern Baking before becoming group publisher of Penton's Baking Group in 2005.

Warne, who will also report to Bagan, became SN's director of group circulation sales and trade show marketing manager in 1997 and joined the weekly's advertising sales team in 1999. He was named associate publisher in 2005.

“I'm delighted to announce the promotion of these two proven leaders with deep experience in the industry,” said Bagan. “In addition, I would like to thank David Merrefield for his strong writing, steady management and friendship. He is truly a gentleman, and we wish him and his family all the best.”

Merrefield joined SN in 1979 as a reporter covering the Southeast United States from Atlanta. In 1984 he transferred to New York, SN's headquarters, as associate editor. He took the editorial helm in 1993 as executive editor and associate publisher. Later his title became editorial director and he became a vice president.

For a time Merrefield was simultaneously tapped as editorial director over a number of other trade publications at SN's former parent company, Fairchild Publications. Those magazines included Children's Business, HFN, Footwear News, Sportstyle, Golf Pro, Brand Marketing and Executive Technology.

Merrefield's time at SN spanned dramatic changes in the publication's appearance and operations. SN, which was founded in 1952, changed from a traditional black-and-white newspaper to a coated-paper, color magazine in 1987. That was followed by a number of redesigns over the years and the emergence of SN on the Web in the late 1990s.

Much of the industry came to know Merrefield through his columns that appeared in SN each week along with his photo. He was a regular presence at major industry events and a trustee of the Food For All organization.